who always kept the Aspidistras
flying high up in her Georgian house on
the windy Terrace from marble urns


had lipstick bomber pilot red
& nails the colour of flame.


It was often elevenses in her lounge
with Gordons served on a silver platter and
THE GRAND HOTEL, DUNEDIN 1932 engraved


on the rim. Another stim dear?
from the mahogany sideboard repository to dozens
of weighty 78 jazz records in brown paper
jackets stacked like so many ossified flapjacks.


Oh she had the most beautiful hands (in her
day) they said, used for commercials in the
Womens Weekly & Booths the Chemists.


Who could forget her gravel voice & make up
mannequin thick

not remember her gin-sweet
breath warm upon the neck? And how some Yank
billeted during WW2 (here) ducky!
thought she was a real living doll.


Oh such beautiful hands she had & the crystal light
streaming forth from those great bay windows


onto the iron railings below.